University of Tennessee Athletics
1999 Volleyball Team in Review
June 02, 2000 | Volleyball
When all of the brackets had been listed and the dust had settled, the 1999 edition of the Lady Vol volleyball team's stock came up just short of its goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Despite a 19-13 overall record and a berth in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament held in Knoxville, Tennessee was not among the 64 teams chosen to participate in the sport's biggest collegiate tournament.
The Orange and White's journey to this point started much earlier, in the heat and humidity of the Stokely Athletics Center with two-a-day conditioning sessions. The Lady Vols began their 32-match journey in Radford, Va., on Sept. 1 with a contest versus the Highlanders. Brimming with the excitement of five newcomers and an experienced nucleus of returnees, Tennessee hit the court exuding confidence.
The Lady Vols had a tremendous match attacking the ball, as they registered a .384 hitting percentage, the highest up to that point of third-year head coach Rob Patrick's tenure, in a 3-1 (15-7, 9-15, 15-9, 15-5) victory. Freshman outside hitter Jennifer Elliott had an outstanding debut for the Big Orange by recording team highs in digs (21) and kills (16). Following the contest, the team returned to Knoxville for just a few hours until they would venture back to the state of Virginia, this time for the Day's Inn James Madison Classic held in Harrisonburg, Va., Sept. 3-4. Meeting teams from Illinois at Chicago, Providence College and host James Madison, the two-day event promised to be a stiff test for the Lady Vols.
Opening with UIC, the Orange and White fanned the Flames with a 3-0 (15-11, 15-5, 15-13) triumph. Sophomore Ariana Wilson led the UT attack as she netted a team-best 18 kills. On Sept. 4, the Lady Vols would see their quick 2-0 start get severely tested when sophomore setter Erica Lear went down with an injured left ankle in Tennessee's 3-0 (15-7, 15-9, 16-14) decision over Providence.
With only hours to prepare for JMU, UT faced the task of extending its best start since 1991 with not only Lear on the sidelines but also Wilson, who sat out of the contest due to an intense migraine. Despite a valiant effort, the Lady Vols dropped their first contest of the season 3-0 (10-15, 7-15, 10-15) to the Lady Dukes. Sophomore middle blocker Stephanie Knight registered 15 kills and nine digs, while as a team, Tennessee posted its fourth consecutive match with a hitting percentage of .300 or higher (.308).
Returning home on the strength of a 3-1 ledger, the troops would have no time for rest. The team was about to embark on its longest trip of the season, nine days for contests in California and Hawaii. Arriving very early in San Francisco on Sept. 6, the team took time to catch the sights of the Bay, including Fisherman's Wharf, before their scheduled contest with the University of San Francisco on Sept. 7.
The glare of California may have proved to be a bit distracting for the Orange and White, as the team dropped a 3-2 (15-5, 7-15, 12-15, 15-12, 12-15) decision to the Dons. Tennessee fell in the match to a USF squad, which won only one match all of the 1998 season. Freshman outside hitter Kelli Scott paced the UT attack as she recorded 16 kills and 14 digs, both team bests.
Following the setback, the team boarded a plane for the Aston's Imua Wahine Volleyball Challenge, hosted by the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. In the team's first visit to the Aloha State since 1985, the team faced a meeting with third-ranked Hawaii on Sept. 9 in the Stan Sheriff Center. After enjoying a day of rest and relaxation, which included a snorkeling expedition, the squad was ready for the task at hand. The Lady Vols took the early momentum in the match by establishing an early 9-3 advantage in game one. The Rainbow Wahine would respond to UT's challenge, as it raced to gain a 12-9 lead.
Tennessee would then knot the contest at 12 apiece when sophomore Andrea Peterson laid down a service ace. With Hawaii one point (14-12) from winning the first frame, the Big Orange tied the game and then forged ahead 15-14 on a UH error. Despite the Lady Vols scoring the most points (17) they had ever scored in a game with UH, the Rainbow Wahine took game one 19-17, and the match, 3-0 (17-19, 0-15, 1-15). Knight led the team with nine kills while Elliott added nine digs.
The Lady Vols' luck would not change the next night as the squad dropped its fourth consecutive contest with a 3-2 (15-5, 14-16, 13-15, 15-12, 8-15) loss to Nevada in tournament play on Sept. 10. Knight registered a career high in digs (18) and also added 18 kills in the match, while Wilson and senior middle blocker Erika Brez each tallied 13 kills, respectively. Senior defensive specialist Lauren Clayton also added 12 digs. Tennessee then concluded its journey out West with its second loss to a ranked team, this time 3-0 (15-8, 15-1, 15-13) to 20th-rated Southern California on Sept. 11. Junior setter Laura Paul led Tennessee as she netted 24 assists and a team-high nine digs.
Returning home after an exhausting road trip, the Lady Vols prepared to open the home portion of their schedule with the third annual Toyota Lady Vol Classic. Meeting Eastern Michigan for only the fourth time in school history, UT snapped its five-match losing skein with a 3-0 (15-3, 15-8, 15-5) triumph over the Eagles on Sept. 17. Wilson sparkled for Tennessee as she dominated EMU with 15 kills and six blocks.
In second day tournament play on Sept. 18, UT quickly dispatched Lehigh 3-0 (15-1, 15-7, 15-4) in morning action as the team hit a phenomenal .427. Freshman outside hitter Janelle Hester led the squad with 11 kills.
In the longest match (2:50) since Tennessee returned to the Stokely Athletics Center in 1998, the Big Orange fell in the championship match 3-2 (14-16, 15-2, 10-15, 15-12, 7-15) to Kansas. Wilson established a new career high with 25 kills while Knight, Brez and Elliott tallied, 17, 17, and 14 kills, respectively. Earning all-tournament accolades for Tennessee were Knight and Wilson.
For her efforts (.352 hitting percentage while averaging 4.64 kills and 1.45 blocks per game) in the Lady Vols' first home matches of the season, Wilson was selected as the Southeastern Conference Volleyball Player of the Week.
In the SEC opener for both schools, Tennessee defeated Georgia, 3-1 (15-13, 15-9, 8-15, 15-11) on Sept. 24 in Athens, Ga. The win was only the fourth for the Orange and White in Athens since 1986, and the first in five seasons. Scott helped fuel the UT attack as she registered a career high in kills (19) while Brez tallied 18. The Lady Vols then dropped their sixth straight contest to South Carolina on Sept. 26, 3-1 (15-13, 9-15, 9-15, 2-15), despite a team-high 15 digs from Scott.
UT then recorded its first victory in a five-game match with a 3-2 (15-11, 15-7, 10-15, 11-15, 15-11) decision at Virginia Tech on Sept. 28. Knight had a monster night as she netted a career high 25 kills for a .545 (25-1-44) hitting percentage in addition to her team high 16 digs.
Registering one of the biggest wins in recent program history, the Orange and White posted a 3-1 (11-15, 15-11, 15-2, 15-6) home decision over Auburn on Oct. 1. The victory was the first for UT over the Tigers since 1993. Lear finished with 45 assists while Knight recorded 13 kills. The Lady Vols then moved to 3-1 in the SEC with a 3-0 (15-10, 15-9, 15-12) triumph over Alabama. The game was the first to be televised in the Stokely Athletics Center since the team's return in 1998. Elliott registered a 14-dig, 11-kill effort in the victory while Peterson added 11 digs. On the heels of a successful weekend, a UT student-athlete earned SEC Player of the Week accolades for the second time in three weeks. This time it was Lear who garnered the award after guiding her squad to a 3-0 mark while averaging a .364 hitting percentage and recording 13.67 assists, 3.25 digs, 1.00 kills, 0.50 blocks and 0.25 service aces per contest.
Taking a break from conference play, the Orange and White took a trip to the "Land of the Delta Blues", Memphis, where the team recorded a 3-1 (15-6, 14-16, 15-6, 15-5) decision over the Tigers on October 5.
Debuting at sixth in the first District IV volleyball rankings of the season, Tennessee returned to the cozy confines of Stokely for an affair with Louisiana State on October 8. Leading the squad to a 3-0 (15-6, 15-10, 15-12) sweep of the Tigers was Wilson, who netted a team-best 20 kills.
With little time to savor the team's fifth straight win, the Big Orange would face Western Division leader and 21st-rated Arkansas on Oct. 10. Tennessee came out strong in the match and led throughout the first game en route to a 15-11 victory. The Lady Vols carried that momentum into the second game as they pushed out to an early 10-0 advantage. The Lady'Backs, though, battled back to take game two, 15-13. Arkansas then took the third frame, 15-7, before UT rallied to win game four, 15-11. On the brink of the biggest win in Patrick's tenure, the Lady Vols fought but could not overcome a gritty UA squad in falling 15-6 in the final stanza. Wilson led the UT attack with 23 kills and six blocks while Elliott tallied a career high for kills with 18.
In a crazy trip to Asheville, N.C., which included the Tennessee team having to walk several miles to its match after its bus got stuck trying to turn up a hill, freshman middle blocker Kristen Clements led the squad to a 3-0 (15-7, 15-7, 15-8) victory over UNC Asheville on October 12 with a career-high nine kills.
Continuing a stretch of four consecutive road matches, Tennessee next charted its path to the Magnolia State for matches against Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Leading off in Starkville, the Big Orange held off an energetic Lady Bulldog team en route to a 3-1 (16-14, 15-8, 4-15, 15-12) victory on October 15. Brez contributed 14 kills in the decision.
Off to its best conference start since the SEC's expansion to 14 matches in 1991, Tennessee concluded its weekend swing through Mississippi on October 17 with a 3-0 (15-7, 15-5, 15-6) whitewashing of the Lady Rebels. As a unit, UT connected for a .371 attack mark. Victors in nine of its last 10 matches, the team ventured up the road for a contest with East Tennessee State on October 19. In a contest featuring the colorful insights of Buccaneer head coach and former UT assistant coach Kim Zenner, the teacher once again defeated the pupil as Patrick's gang defeated ETSU, 3-0 (15-3, 15-11, 15-7). Having moved up to fourth in the district rankings, the Tennessee road warriors returned home for a showdown with fourth-ranked Florida on October 24. In front of the seventh-largest crowd in Stokely history, the Gators silenced the Lady Vols and their faithful with a 3-0 (15-2, 15-4, 15-7) victory over the Orange and White. Scott finished the matinee with 11 digs while Knight added 10 kills.
Having been humbled by the sheer talent of the Florida squad, UT looked to move forward when it hosted Georgia State in the final non-conference affair of the year on Oct. 26. The Lady Panthers proved to be the perfect elixir for what ailed the Lady Vols and the Big Orange garnered a 3-0 (15-9, 15-10, 15-8) triumph.
What came next was one of the most important sets of matches for Tennessee all season, a home-and-home series with Kentucky. Patrick described the series as one which if the Lady Vols wanted to make the upward climb in the SEC they had to conquer. The weekend started off with a visit to Lexington on October 29. Following a complete display of dominance in the first game 15-0, the Lady Vols came apart at the seams in dropping the next two games and the match, 3-2 (15-0, 13-15, 7-15, 15-8, 12-15). Leading the Tennessee attack was Scott, who recorded a double-double (12 digs and 10 kills).
Two days later on Halloween, the two squads took the court again, only this time in Knoxville. UT earned a measure of redemption with a 3-0 (15-6, 15-7, 15-13) win over the Wildcats. Clayton sparked the team as she served Tennessee to leads of 5-0 and 6-0, respectively, in games one and three. On the day, she finished with a team-best 13 digs. On the afternoon, Wilson recorded a .419 hitting percentage and smacked down 16 kills, including the 700th of her career.
Journeying to Florida, the team then prepared for its second encounter with the Gators in less than two weeks on Nov. 4. As had been the case in the previous encounter, the Lady Vols ran into an offensive juggernaut for which they had no answer in a 3-0 (4-15, 2-15, 5-15) loss to No. 4 UF. Elliott led the Orange and White with a team-best .375 hitting percentage and seven kills.
Returning home to close out the regular-season portion of its schedule, the Lady Vols looked to snap the hex South Carolina had held over them when the teams met on Nov. 12. In a contest televised live by FOX Sports Net South, the Orange and White fell short of the Gamecocks for the 12th straight time, 3-1 (15-7, 11-15, 13-15, 4-15). Clayton equaled a season high with 13 digs while Wilson and Knight registered 15 and 13 kills, respectively.
Needing a victory to ensure themselves of the fourth seed in the conference tournament, the Lady Vols closed out the campaign with a visit from Georgia on Nov. 14. In a wild affair, the Orange and White took its first season sweep from the Bulldogs since 1996 with a dramatic 3-2 (15-10, 15-3, 12-15, 12-15, 15-12) victory. In their final regular season home match, the UT senior duo of Brez and Clayton propelled the team to the triumph. Brez registered a career-high with 22 kills to go along with a .450 attack mark, while Elliott shattered a career best with 29 digs. Not to be outdone, Scott netted a career high 23 digs of her own.
In the days leading up to the event, six Lady Vol student-athletes were named to the Academic All-SEC Honor Roll, including sophomore defensive specialist Mandy Bergey, Clayton, senior defensive specialist Melissa Kowalski, Peterson, sophomore outside hitter Lauren Proctor and Wilson.
The resume would grow for several of the Big Orange's finest when the SEC Awards were presented at the tournament banquet. Becoming the first UT volleyball player to earn first-team All-SEC honors since Tamala Brightman in 1992, Wilson was named as a first-team conference honoree after earning second-team accolades as a freshman. First time All-SEC award winners for Tennessee included Brez, Knight and Lear, who were all named to the All-SEC second team.
Earning the fourth seed in the SEC Tournament to be contested in Knoxville, the Orange and White faced the task of defeating fifth seed Auburn on Nov. 19. Lear had a tremendous match as she recorded 44 assists and served four service aces. Brez also had a fine contest as she registered 15 kills and a team- and career-high eight blocks. When all was said and done, the Lady Vols had advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament with a 3-1 (15-11, 15-8, 14-16, 15-3) victory over Auburn. The team had done so in front of the second largest crowd to ever witness a match at the Stokely Athletics Center, 679.
Having won its first tournament contest for the third straight year, Tennessee once again had to tangle with Florida, this time in the SEC Semifinals. Despite a valiant effort on the part of the Lady Vol volleyball team, the Gators eliminated the Orange and White from the SEC Tournament on Nov. 20. Despite falling in the contest, UT snapped UF's 24-game streak of not allowing an opponent to score more than eight points when Tennessee registered 10 in the initial game. Wilson paced the Lady Vol attack as she netted nine kills while tallying a team-best three blocks.
Having concluded a very successful tournament run, the Orange and White had to await word as to whether they would be an at-large selection to the 64-team NCAA Tournament. After returning from Thanksgiving break on Nov. 28, the Lady Vols gathered in the women's basketball locker room at Thompson-Boling Arena to watch the selection show to see if their 19-13 record would be enough to gain a bid to the tournament. As the selections rolled by, the players came to the stark realization that they would not be tournament bound and that their dreams of moving on would have to wait another year. Although disappointed, the group gathered and focused on making their dreams of a tournament berth a reality in 2000.
After the disappointing news on postseason play, UT did get a ray of sunshine on Dec. 9, Wilson was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I All-District Four Team. She became the first Tennessee player to earn the honor since Brightman in 1992.
Listing the accomplishments of the Lady Vols in the 1999 campaign illustrates just how far the program has come in three short years under Patrick. Lear had the sixth-best season for assists (1,203) in UT history, while Wilson recorded the eighth highest hitting percentage (.309) and Elliott the 10th best mark for digs (337). The Lady Vols also established a new school record for kills with 94 against Arkansas.
As a team, Tennessee registered the fifth-best single season marks for hitting percentage (.245) and assists (1,628) as well as the eighth highest season mark for digs (1,808). Elliott's 29 digs versus Georgia was the fifth-best single-match total in program history. As the team continued to improve so did the attendance, as the Lady Vols had six of the top 10 Stokely crowds ever, including; 679 versus Auburn (Nov. 19). 541 against South Carolina (Nov. 12), 498 versus Florida (Oct. 24), 480 against the Gators (Nov. 20), 403 versus Auburn (Oct. 1) and 393 for Arkansas (Oct. 10).
When Tennessee hits the court at Millett Hall on the campus of Miami University on Sept. 1 for its season opener, the Orange and White will do so with one goal in mind: improving their standing in the SEC and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2000. Anything less will be a disappointment for the returnees of the 1999 edition of the Lady Vols.
